


One Step Leads To Another

by 360prompts (hangryBee)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adam is a douche, Alternate Universe, Ballroom Dancing, F/M, Gen, Homophobic Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-10 20:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15956879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hangryBee/pseuds/360prompts
Summary: The Twenty-seventh Beacon Regional Junior Ballroom Competition. Blake has been working towards this for an entire year.Too bad that her partner bails on her.Too good that someone steps in instead.Too incredible that together with this tall blonde, dancing is better than ever before.





	1. Why not dance with a dragon instead?

**Author's Note:**

> i know nothing about dancing and even less about ballroom dancing, so i hope i didn’t screw it up all too badly.  
> also, somewhere in my research, read: watching videos on youtube, i came across the first waltz where i ever thought it was beautiful and not just stiff and clunky. that was a nice moment.
> 
> also, this here was one of my bigger inspirations for the dancing parts:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tby9heoY9rw  
> (sorry, i can't figure out how to make a clickable link out of this)  
> that little flirtation somewhere after the forty-five second mark. gosh dang it is that hot or what? (also the song is super smooth and that voice is nice. i like it.)

She was nervous sure, who wouldn’t be? This was the big night. The Twenty-seventh Beacon Regional Junior Ballroom Competition. Their first real competition. A year of preparation and soon they would find out how good they’d do.  
Exactly one year ago, just a few weeks after she’d started at Beacon Academy for the Gifted, she’d come across this competition. Being bored and - admittedly - more than just slightly tipsy, she wandered in and was immediately enchanted. Seeing the couples practically floating across the floor with such grace and finesse. She wanted to do that too. And by the following week she'd started taking lessons. And somehow she'd managed to convince Adam to be her dance partner.  
The day he’d agreed she could barely sit still. She was so giddy, practically dancing every step she took that day. It was the greatest day since her dad had allowed her to start training in martial arts, almost a decade ago.  
Now, one year of dedication later she’d finally get to float across the very same floor as the figures that inspired her. She was nervous, of course, but her smile could have blinded the moon.

Making her way down the hallway, already dressed in her flowing black and white gown she felt like a duchess. Powerful and elegant. Beautiful with just the right amount of fancy. Just the right amount of 'look at me' so she could still feel comfortably invisible and her church-mouse heart wasn't having palpitations about how many people would be watching her during their dance.  
Right next to the hall where she'd been warming up for the past twenty minutes or so, there was a little lounge where Adam had said they would meet. Early on in their training he had decided that he didn't need to warm up and so far his performance had been good enough that she made sure not to bring it up again. Though he could probably do better if he would stretch a little before dancing... it would almost certainly end in a fight so - he did good enough. It wasn’t worth the confrontation.

She almost took the door with her when she entered, that’s how excited she was. But all her joy quickly turned into a queasy twisting in her guts as she saw her partner completely unprepared, hanging in one of the chairs, smoking.  
“Er, Adam?”  
“Hey, what’s up?”  
“Don’t you want to get dressed? We’re on in half an hour.” She tried very hard to keep her voice neutral.  
“What are you talking about? I am dressed. I’m not sitting around naked am i?” He gestured down at himself, the cigarettes smoke forming a trail after his hand.  
“Well, no, but you’re dressed in sneakers and a leather jacket.” Some small part of her already knew how this was going to go and she wrapped her arms around herself while at the same time trying not to look like she was giving up.  
“Are you saying I don’t look good?” He glared at her, accusation so clearly on his face.  
She tried to keep her voice strong, not quite succeeding. “I didn’t say that, but this is a ballroom dance competition, there’s a dress code. Why aren’t you wearing your suit?”  
He said it so casually, as if it meant nothing and had no consequences. “I don’t feel like it. Those things are seriously uncomfortable and I don’t like looking like I have a stick up my ass and enjoy it.”  
“What the hell Adam? You said you’d do this for me and instead you’re just sitting there smoking?”  
“Oh so now I don’t get to have a smoke when I feel like it? You know what Blake?” He shimmied in his seat for a moment before he could get up. “Screw this. A whole year I did what you wanted and came with you to do this silly stuff and instead of a little bit of gratitude all I get is you trying to boss me around and letting your foul mood out on me.” And with that he pushed past her and left the room.  
She took a few quick steps to follow him out into the hallway. “Adam! I didn’t mean it like that. Come on, Adam, please? Adam, I’m sorry, please don’t leave.” But he wasn’t even listening anymore. Keeping his cigarette between his lips he’d put in his earbuds and stalked off.

He just left her there, in the middle of the hallway on the one night that was truly important to her. She was fighting tears. Glancing back and forth as if trying to figure out if this was just a nightmare. If she’d wake up in a moment and this all hadn’t happened. It would be early in the morning and she’d have all day to prepare and make sure Adam would be there and everything would go smooth. This couldn’t be real. He wouldn’t do this to her, would he? He knew how important this night was to her. She’d told him. How happy she was that he’d agreed. How much it meant to her. He wouldn’t hurt her like that. This had to be a bad dream.

“Excuse me? Miss? Are you okay?” A bright voice behind her drew her out of her thoughts.  
“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry.” she turned around and shot a quick, apologetic smile.  
“Woah, woah, hey, no need to apologize.” The girl held out her arms halfway.  
Blake wasn’t sure what the gesture was meant to express. Was she trying to calm her down? Maybe offering a hug? Just a shrug? What was that supposed to be?  
“I happened to see that guy storming off. Your boyfriend? Did he get jealous because you’re dancing with someone else?”  
Blake just stared at her for a while. What the hell was going on? Why did this tall blonde care about what had happened?  
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry, it’s none of my business… I just wanted to see if you’re okay. Anyway, I’ll-”  
Blake let out a heavy sigh. “No, it’s fine. That was my dance partner. We were supposed to be on in about half an hour. But I guess I can take off my dress now.”  
“Half an hour is enough time to calm down. Don’t give up yet. I’m sure he’ll come back. You two worked hard to be here, right? He’s not going to just throw that all away.”  
She scoffed. As if it was that easy. “No, Adam’s - stubborn. If he’s made up his mind he doesn’t just… calm down and come back. This is the end of the night for us. I guess I can watch the others...”  
“Oh. Well that’s… that sucks.” The blonde was quite obvious with her discomfort not knowing what to do with this information.

After a while she cleared her throat. “So you don’t have a partner anymore, but you still want to dance, right?”  
“There’s no point talking about hypotheticals. It’s not like there’s suddenly going to be some modern equivalent of a Prince Charming asking me to let him fill the spot or something.”  
“Well, maybe not a Prince Charming, but I can be pretty suave if I try.” She looked Blake in the eye and gave her a quick raise of her eyebrow. “I mean, if you’re here because you want to dance and not because you want to compete for a price, I can be your partner. I’ll have to borrow someones suit but I know how to lead the standards. I’m not a master at it but I know the steps…” There was a little questioning shrug.  
“You’re saying you would dance with me.”  
“Yeah.”  
“You would take the leading part and dance a Foxtrot with me.”  
“Yep. It won’t be amazing, like I said, I’m not a master, but if I have any say in it, it will be fun.” And she smiled at her. Just a brilliant, endlessly joyful smile.  
Blake couldn’t help but laugh. What the hell? It would be better than trodding home without doing anything; it would be better than sitting on the sidelines watching others enjoy themselves. Why shouldn’t she take the offer? There really was no good reason against it. ”Okay. Let’s find you a suit.”  
Then the blonde seriously did a fist pump saying, “Yesss." Before extending her hand, adding, “I’m Yang, by the way.”  
Somehow, in that instant, Blake's goal for the evening shifted. It would certainly be fun, dancing with such a goofball. “Blake, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

After some minutes of pestering random guys about borrowing their suits Yang actually managed to procure one. She had to give up her phone number, but she called it a small price to pay for a dance with a beautiful woman. Following the statement with an exaggerated wink that coaxed another laugh out of Blake.

So Yang took off to the wardrobes while Blake made sure they’d have some space in the hall to get used to each other's movements, the length of their steps, the little cues they’d give. Just to make sure they wouldn’t make complete fools out of themselves once they were out there.

Blake had barely started stretching when she noticed the shimmering blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. And there she was. Yang in a suit.  
She looked good. Seriously good. Granted both the jacket and the shirt were a bit strained around her chest so it was obvious that it hadn’t been tailored for her but somehow it only added to the laid back charm she exuded. Her hair still a wild mess of golden locks. It made a striking contrast to the black and white of her shirt and jacket. To Blake it seemed that Princess Charming might actually be quite fitting.

Yang approached without saying a word, a satisfied smile on her lips, and held out her hand, inviting Blake for a dance.  
Right then, as she smiled back, she felt the last bits of doubt she’d held dissolve in an instant.  
Sure, they’d probably be disqualified. But she’d rather go out there and do what she enjoyed without getting a rating, than having to explain that her partner had left her to rot and go home without getting anything out of the entire evening. All her hard work tossed just like that? No, she’d enjoy herself. She’d have fun. That’s why she started dancing in the first place after all. She’d have a good evening and starting tomorrow she’d never rely on Adam again. She wouldn’t give him another chance to leave her hanging and hurt her the way he had today.

Yang didn’t take proper position, instead she just laid her hand on Blake's waist and with a comfortable amount of space remaining between them she began to dance a simple box step. After a few repetitions she began to spin them. Clockwise, then counterclockwise, then clockwise again. After a few more steps she sent her into a twirl. But when they faced each other again, Yang drew her in close, her hand sliding up to Blake's shoulder blade and once Blake had settled her own hands Yang began to lead her into a Foxtrot.

And wow, she could lead. She certainly had the posture for it. Not to mention the figure, tall and strong with muscular shoulders. Blake found herself amazed at the sheer fitness of her Princess Charming.  
There was no fumbling. They just fit. One step lead to another and soon they were making their way across the entire floor. They were stepping across clouds, spinning through the mist of a waterfall. Blake always knew what they were doing, what was coming next. It was as if Yang was announcing it all in words. Perfectly clear and without any doubt. Bit by bit the surroundings faded until all that remained were the two of them. Just two figures, spinning and twirling and stepping through space. Time flew by and she had the feeling that they’d just started mere seconds ago when a voice rang through the hall. They were up in a few minutes. Just enough time to catch their breath and get ready for their call.

Blake couldn’t stop from smiling. She felt dizzy from joy and so at ease. She felt as if she wasn’t even touching the floor, just drifting through space. This was the most satisfying dance she’d ever had. This was better than anything she’d ever imagined it could be like.

They shared a glass of water and stood with the other couples waiting for heat three to be called on the floor. Here and there they got a few weird looks and caught the occasional whisper, after all it was quite obvious that Yang was not a guy. But it didn’t bother them in the slightest. They had only communicated with little gestures and smiles since they’d found a suit and Blake found herself strangely calm. She felt no pressure and no anxiety, just a yearning for another dance with this exceptional woman. To feel like they were floating once more.  
And there it was: “Heat three, slow Foxtrot.” As the announcer read the numbers of all the couples they smiled at each other one more time. Yang held out her hand and once Blake had laid hers on top, they made their way onto the floor, finding a spot where they could start.

It was as if she was being put into the spotlight. Not as if she was being showed off as a possession, she knew what that felt like, Adam made her feel like that sometimes. No, with Yang it was… It was as if she was proud that she was the one who got to dance with Blake. That she was the one who got to hold Blake's hand. That she felt lucky that Blake trusted her enough to let her lead. And she wanted everyone to know that. Like she wanted everyone to see how great Blake was.  
And with those thoughts Blake realized that Yang walked just the smallest step behind her. Yang wasn’t leading yet. Blake was making their entry and Yang was only there to make her look her best.  
She felt a shiver run down her spine and straightened up a little more. A surge of confidence drew her lips into a pleased smile as she slowed their steps just slightly, Yang immediately accommodating.  
This was powerful, she thought. This was elegant and strong. Not like a duchess, with a title somebody else gave, depending on their good will for it to remain. No, this was real power. Independent and self assured. With certain, fluid steps. Like a panther. And like a panther she claimed her spot. Until she was done, this was her dance-floor. Others may move across it, but it was hers in all the ways that counted.  
This was an unfamiliar feeling. She liked it.

As the song began and all the couples stepped into position, Yang instead winked at her and held out her right hand. Blake paused for a moment, confusion clear on her face, but she reached out and moments later found herself lead into a spin, and then another, and another, before she was released. She spun two more times before letting her dress flare out around her. Yang stood still for a second, then took a step forward and Blake mirrored the motion, their arms held by their sides.  
Then Yang began to sway, Blake followed suit, her eyes locked on Yang's face, noticing just how brilliantly violet her partners eyes really were. What was she planning? Without realizing, she followed Yang's lead into a step. And just like that they’d begun to dance. Blake was laughing and a moment later it hit her; she’d never before laughed while dancing, she’d never had this much fun dancing. Maybe she’d never had this much fun doing anything. This could very well be the greatest night of her life.  
One step followed another. Still not touching. Yang tilted her shoulders and she followed into a slow spin. Step-step-step. Step-step-step. It had never been so easy, almost effortless. How was it possible to understand a complete stranger so perfectly?  
After another few steps Yang slowly began to lift her arms and they finally joined the rest in showing their best Foxtrot as the rules expected.

Yang guided her across a gently sloping meadow. Dipping here and there where a creek went by. Stepping around rocks and spinning where the grass wasn’t quite so thick.

When, after another minute or so, the music ended they didn’t even wait for the jury to call those who would compete in the next round. Blake simply took Yang's hand and just as they’d entered, they left. With Yang setting Blake in the spotlight. And despite everything, she felt like she had won tonight.

###### 

Once they’d changed into their street clothes, Yang had returned the borrowed suit and Blake had packed off her dress so it wouldn’t get soiled, they left through the back entrance of the building and made their way down the street. Yang had insisted to accompany her and so they braved the cold side by side until the bus arrived.

“I just realized I never asked why you were backstage. You weren’t there to compete were you?” She looked at Yang with her brows furrowed in curiosity.  
“I kind of snuck in? One of my roommates, Weiss, is a bit of a history geek, especially concerning royalty and upper class and all that, so she has some really interesting facts to share on a lot of stuff, but sometimes she just gets a little too much for me. My sister loves listening to her, she could do it all day, but I need a break sometimes. And since I didn’t want to stand outside with it being freezing-my-buns-off cold I just kind of pretended I belonged there and they let me through.”  
She laughed at the image of Yang just casually strolling into a restricted area. “Wow. I bet you’re a pro at sneaking into parties.”  
“Contrary to popular believe, I don’t actually do that. Mostly because I don’t have to since I’m already invited.” She sent her a smug smile as they approached the bench at the station.

They’d barely sat for ten seconds when the front lights of the bus came around the corner.  
“Well, that’s my ride. It was really nice meeting you and thank you, again, for jumping in tonight. You honestly turned a nightmare into a nice evening. So thank you.” She lifted her head, smiling at Yang, trying to convey all her gratitude with that.  
Only for it to be returned. “It was my absolute pleasure.” After a second Yang fumbled in her pockets. “Oh, hey, let me give you my number so you can contact me if you ever need a non rule compliant dance partner again.” She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down her digits. “Or you know, if you wanna grab some coffee. Or if you’re bored on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, there’s a fair chance that there’s a party somewhere that I can take you to as a plus one or whatever.” A beaming smile accompanying her words as she passed the piece of paper over, Blake already standing on the steps in the bus.  
“Yeah, I’ll do that. See you around Yang. Thanks again for tonight."  
"You are most welcome. Have a good night, Blake."

The doors closed and a short wave later they were on their separate ways.


	2. Perhaps there's still sunlight in the distance?

When she arrived at their apartment it was as if she walked into a cave with a really wet fire and absolutely horrid air circulation. And there he was, sitting on the couch, smoking. The ashtray next to him, balanced on that beautiful brocade pillow she’d bought last week. That stung a bit, but she was sure he had it under control. He wouldn’t want the couch to burn down, judging by how much he went on about how comfortable it was.  
She really didn’t like it when he smoked indoors. She hated the smell. Lingering for hours and days. Constantly getting a whiff of cigarette. But there wasn’t really much she could do. It was his apartment after all and he’d made it clear that as long as he paid the rent he got to decide when he’d smoke inside. She’d tried a couple times to explain it to him but it always ended with her suggesting to pay half the rent and him telling her how silly she was being before he went down to the bar or something.

“What took you so long? It’s already past midnight. Where did you hang around so long?”  
“At the competition.”  
“Oh, couldn’t keep yourself from watching the other faggots dance to shitty music, could you?” he lit up another cigarette. “Did you at least bring something to eat?”  
“No, I didn’t. I’m not hungry. I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”  
“Sure, whatever. Guess I’ll just have that sandwich in the fridge.”  
That was supposed to be her lunch for tomorrow. Making sure he wouldn’t hear her sigh she entered the bedroom.

 

She put away her dress. Changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth, trying to avoid the mirror. When had it all gone so wrong? He wasn’t like this when she met him. He used to be sweet, always a gentleman, respectful and patient. Now she could be glad if she hadn’t been accused of something for three days in a row. Didn’t matter how small it was. Soap bubbles in the sink when she was done with the dishes, a hair stuck on the back of the couch, his keys somewhere he hadn’t left them because he’d come home drunk and passed out on the floor - all her fault. But they still had nice moments. It wasn’t like he was abusing her. They just had some tensions here and there. Every relationship had that. They’d work through it at some point. Now just wasn’t the right time for it.

She spent some time staring at the ceiling, going through all the things Adam had said and done that day. Remembering the promise to herself, that she’d never rely on Adam for something important again. Seeing him just walk away from her like that…  
Then she remembered Yang. Their shared dances. She slept quite well that night.

###### 

A week had passed since the competition. Most of her time was occupied by classes or studying at home and although usually she had very little trouble concentrating, the past few days she’d found herself drifting sometimes. Playing back the memories of Thursday night, everything that came after Adam had stormed off.  
Sitting in math, waiting for the professor to finish putting notes on the board; “Well, I may not be a Prince Charming, but I can be pretty suave if I try.” Standing in line while picking up the groceries, trying to remember if she’d forgotten anything and the only thing that came to mind was that ridiculously joyful smile. “He wanted my number so I’ll probably end up with a couple awkward phone calls before he moves on again. But I’d say it’s a small price to pay for a dance with a beautiful lady.” With that all too silly wink. And walking home had turned into a strange mix of sensations as she repeatedly felt herself floating just like she had felt when they were dancing.  
She didn’t enjoy drawing attention to herself, with all her random smiling and chuckling while in public and Adam would just make another unwanted comment if he caught her so she made an extra effort to control her face. Sadly, not always succeeding.

Wednesday had passed and as she had expected he didn’t show up at the dance school. She’d spent the lesson doing some ballet sequences to improve her posture and learning a little more about the theoretical part of dancing. Being asked by her teacher to watch the other couples and tell him what she could see they were doing wrong or at least could improve was somewhat stressful but immensely informative. But it all didn’t make up for the lack of a partner. She explained to her teacher that this might be the last lesson she attended, for exactly that reason. It didn’t help that her teacher only nodded and mentioned that he was honestly surprised that Adam hadn’t pulled something like this months ago.  
The next day she asked Adam about it. She just wanted clarity that was all. It was supposed to be a simple, straight forward question: “Are you ever going to another dance lesson with me?” And ideally a just as simple yes or no answer. Instead it ended with him monologuing at her about how self centered she was and how she didn’t understand that he had more important things to do than waste time with her stupid dancing.  
At some point she had had enough and, close to tears, she grabbed her bag, threw on her jacket and left, to a few more jabs yelled after her through the closing door. She was just wandering around, for some reason desperately craving a cigarette. Probably just to have something to hold on to, something to do. She hadn’t smoked in almost two years, but right now she was seriously considering grabbing a pack.  
She didn’t though. With her hands stuffed into her pockets she came across the little slip of paper with Yang's number on it. She thought about how nice it would be to talk to her again. And for some reason, imagining the blonde walking by her side right now, had her almost as calm as she had felt standing next to her during the competition.  
It was an unusual feeling, to have no worries about calling someone. To just punch in the numbers and hit the call button, not even once going through what to say and how. But there she was listening to the dial tone before she’d even realized how easy this had just been.

After a couple seconds there was some rustling. “Yeah? Hello?” It sounded somewhat muffled.  
“Er, hi, um, is this Yang?”  
“Yeah, Yang, that’s me, that’s my name.”  
“Um, hi, this is Blake.” She paused for a second. “From last Thursday, from the competition?”  
Yang was unmistakably smiling when she spoke. “Yeah, no, of course! I remember you, of course I remember you. That beautiful lady with long black hair that actually let me dance with her even though that meant she would be disqualified." Blake's cheeks flushed. "Of course I remember, how could I not? I was just really surprised. I’d kind of stopped expecting your call.” She laughed just once. “I mean i was still hoping you would, I just wasn’t sure. Um, wow, holy crap, it’s so good to hear from you. How are you? How have you been?”  
Those were questions she didn’t want to go into right now. “You gave me your number and said if I was bored or something I could call you? So I was wondering…”  
“If I wanna hang out? Yes! Yes, I wanna hang out with you. My friends are actually having a bit of a party. I’ll text you the address. Are you coming with the bus? Then I’ll wait at the stop so you don’t have to go searching the streets.”  
Shit. A party. Now she had the choice of either being uncomfortable for a non defined amount of time until it was appropriate to leave again or she could be responsible for Yang not hanging out with her friends and having fun and instead sitting bored in a coffee shop or something. Great. She needed an excuse, quick. Did she just get a text and had to go somewhere? Would that work? Shit.  
“Blake? Are you still there?”  
Shit, shit, shit. “Yeah, I’m here.”  
“Something not okay?”  
“No, everything’s fine. I just… um… something just came up.” That was the worst acting she’d ever done and she was scrunching up her face hoping that Yang would buy it.  
“Blake? Do you not like parties?”  
What? “How did you…?”  
There was that free floating laugh again. “My sister used to be super uncomfortable around groups of people so she would always try to make up some excuse why she couldn’t come to a party. But she’s so bad at lying that you can see her squirming from a mile away.” She was laughing again and Blake couldn’t help but smile. That sound was downright contagious. “Anyway, I kind of oversold it as a party. It’s more like a get together of friends? Something around ten people being silly, playing video games, munching popcorn and pretending that their ice teas are alcoholic. Oh, wait, Sun and Neptune are back, so there might actually be some alcohol but I don’t think any one of us ever actually got drunk at one of these things.” She took a deep breath, then let it rush out of her before continuing. “Sorry, that was way more information than you need. So… do you want to just go there, see if you like it and if you don’t we can always leave even after only ten minutes, there’s absolutely no pressure. I know a cute cafe close by to their place so if you decide that it’s not for you and you want to just go grab something to drink we can always just do that.” Another rush of breath curled along the phone. “Or we can just go straight to a coffee shop, that’s fine too. I don’t mind, I see those dorks all the time anyway…”  
Blake was laughing. It was so easy to feel at ease with Yang. “Yeah, okay, let’s go to that party, slash, get together thing. You seem like you really want to go.”  
“Sorry, I just hold a champion title that I might need to defend.” She waited until Blake had stopped laughing again. “So, I’ll text you the bus line and stop?”  
“Yeah, I’ll see you there.”  
“See you there, Blake. I’m really glad you called.”

 

It took her just over twenty minutes to get there and when she got out of the bus there was that unmistakable smile beaming at her from the waiting room. Yang burst out through the door and greeted her loudly.  
And in spite of how awkward she felt in that moment, it was also really sweet seeing how enthusiastic Yang was to see her again. For a moment they stood there, not quite knowing what to do, until Yang took the lead and gestured down the road. “Shall we?”  
The moment was so reminiscent of a week ago. Blake could merely smile and nod.

 

The building they entered had clearly been a factory at some point, now it was split up into five apartments, each taking up one floor. They stepped into one of those old rattling elevators, large enough to fit several pallets of wares. The old thing made some rather disconcerting noises as it set into motion but when Blake furrowed her brow at Yang, she only waved her hand dismissively. “It’s done that from day one. Don’t worry, we won’t get stuck or anything.”  
Yang slammed her hand against the door far harder than necessary. The metal ringing obnoxiously until there was a rattling and a sequence of clicks as the door was slid to the side. One of the wheels was in dire need of service.  
“Yang, please stop doing that. We’re going to end up with a complaint from our neighbors.” The young man sighed at Yang before he saw Blake and as he turned towards her she noticed a pink streak in his hair. “Oh, you brought someone new. Hi, I’m Ren. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He spoke in a quiet, welcoming manner and she figured if all of them were at least a little like him, this could actually be a nice and calm evening.  
Her hopes were shattered almost immediately. Before she could even reach out and shake his hand a round of excited yelling echoed from further inside the apartment. There were accusations of cheating, professions of innocence and one especially loud: “I’m the fastest girl alive!”  
Yang stepped past Ren and took of her jacket, hanging it on a series of thick nails driven into the wall before she reached for Blake's coat. Ren disappearing towards an open kitchen once he had closed the door again.

It was an interesting place to call home. She’d never seen anything like it. The ceiling was so high she could have stood on Yang's shoulders and still not reach it. The windows starting from about hip height and continuing until almost below the ceiling. They went all around the room taking turns with equally wide bits of thick wall. If they weren’t in the middle of the city they could have literally watched the sun rise on one side of the apartment and keep it in view until it set on the other side.  
The kitchen was an assortment of counters, a fridge and a stove with the hood literally hanging from half-way down the room where it disappeared into the wall. There was a smaller room walled off, the door clearly marked as the bathroom except that the sign started with the traditional gentlemen and ladies pictogram and continued with more and more fantastical things until it ended with mermaid, alien, robot and dragon.  
On the other side of the apartment there were four beds and four closets arranged, two by two, facing each other across the room. And in between those clearly defined areas there was one large space filled with nothing but a large TV, a couch table and three horribly mismatched couches, all of them far beyond their prime. But the near-dozen people spread across them clearly didn’t mind as they were chatting with each other or fixated on the screen playing some kind of racing game.

Yang laid a hand on Blake's back and with gentle pressure guided her towards the half circle of couches. “Hey everyone, this is Blake.”  
She felt like she was back in primary school as everyone chorused “Hi Blake!” glanced at her with a smile and some of them with a little wave, then immediately went back to staring at the TV and continuing their conversations. Ren handed the two newcomers a fancy looking drink with umbrella and everything. It brought a smile to Blake's lips as they scooched onto the last free spaces on one of the couches.  
After a little sip, Yang leant over to her and started pointing at her friends one by one.  
“This here next to you is Sun. He’s a freaking monkey. Climbs on anything that seems even remotely climbable.” The guy in question only turned his head for a moment, lifting his hand motioning ‘hi’.  
“Next to him, blue hair boy, is Neptune. His parent are apparently the world's best ironic jokers, since they named him after a god of the sea only for him to be afraid of water.” He seemed somewhat dismayed by the reveal of that information but winked at Blake anyway. She wasn’t quite sure how to understand that so she just stayed silent nodding at him. “Also they’re boyfriends.” Yang finished. And for the next couple of seconds the two boys were loudly repeating that they were not dating. Not even close. They were just roommates. But Yang only watched them with a devilish grin until they waved her off with a ‘whatever’.  
Obviously feeling victorious she continued with her introductions. “That there, that endlessly excited redhead, that’s Nora. Almost always eating something, preferably cake. She’s one of those weird creatures who can just eat whatever they want and never have to worry about putting on weight.”  
She moved her finger further. “Ren you’ve already met. You’re gonna ask yourself if they’re dating about two times every time you see them interact but they’re not. They’ve known each other since they were five or something and have been through all sorts of crap together including being homeless and the horrors of foster care, so they’re basically twins. Oh and, don’t ask about their past if you can, it’s still a bit of a topic.”  
“The bum slouching on the floor is Jaune. Aka Vomit Boy. The dorkiest of dorks. He has seven sisters so if you ever need a boys perspective, he’s your man. He's probably heard it all by now. It’s his one great characteristic. He can be awkward sometimes but he’s mostly nice.”  
“And that striking flame headed beauty behind him is Pyrrha. She’s literally the best at everything she does. She’s super nice and will always have your back. And she is fit as fuck. Can whoop pretty much anybody’s ass and will walk off as if she’d just swatted a fly. On that note,” she made sure to raise her voice a little, “have I mentioned she’s gorgeous?” Pyrrha looked at her like ‘come on, you’re being ridiculous’, but she was smiling so Blake assumed this was a regular thing between them. “Oh, also, because of how incredibly awesome her fighting skills are and how many competitions she’s won, she’s the mascot of some cereals that none of us can afford because we’re all broke college students. Yay.” It must have been the most sarcastically enthusiastic sound Blake had ever heard and she chuckled, shaking her head at Yang.  
“And then there’s my roommates. Weiss, the history geek I’ve told you about. She’s prim and prissy and cold as ice. As is clearly reflected through her snow themed appearance. I swear she spends at least five hours every week to look like that.” Weiss glared at her across the table, squinting her eyes a little. Yang just ignored it.  
“And last and most important. My baby sister Ruby. Basically a puppy in human shape. Super interested in old weapons. And pretty much an engineering genius which is why she got in to Beacon two years ahead and I’m so incredibly proud of her.” The sisters beamed at each other for a moment before Ruby turned back to the screen where she was winning another race by an almost suspiciously large margin.  
“So, that’s us.”

Blake looked at everyone one by one, mentally repeating as much as she could remember in an effort to keep their names. But when she looked at Pyrrha and Jaune she realized she’d seen them before. It took her a second but once the foggy memory cleared up she turned towards Yang, taken aback for a moment by how close they were. Those violet eyes were really striking. If it wouldn’t make her seem like a total creep she would have stared at them until she’d ingrained every last detail in her memory. “Is it possible that I’ve seen Jaune and Pyrrha at Beacon before?”  
“Yeah, of course. These two closeted darlings,” she gestured at Sun and Neptune, both inhaling sharply to reply before thinking better of it and just shaking their heads, “are only here for an exchange year, but yeah, we all go to Beacon. You go to Beacon too?”  
“Yeah. I started last year.”  
“An entire year we didn’t meet each other. Oh man!”  
Then Ruby was yelling from across the table. “Wait! Blake goes to Beacon too?”  
Blake, taken aback by the sudden volume, merely managed a nod.  
“Oh my gosh! That is so cool!”

 

The evening progressed with lots of laughter, a spilt drink here and there and endless rounds of racing each other. Blake was surprisingly good at it and Sun decided that was a good enough reason to tease her. Claiming she must have played before and was merely saying she hadn’t to look cool. Blake was too overwhelmed with the situation to know how to react. So Yang took care of it with an expertly placed reminder that his boyfriend would get jealous if Sun kept flirting with everyone he met. That took care of him but Blake didn’t feel like playing anymore. Instead she joined Yang where she was chatting with Pyrrha and Jaune.

It was lots of fun and with some few short exceptions she felt calm for the entire evening but at some point the constant noise became a little too much for her. When Yang noticed her getting a little fidgety she leaned over. “Want to leave?”  
She didn’t quite know how to react. Would it really be okay to just say yes? Yang said it would be okay but Adam did that too sometimes and he was still annoyed when she later asked to leave. “It’s fine, we can stay.” She made an effort for it to sound casual but it must have been as obvious as it was ironic.  
“Let’s go grab some tea. What do you say?”  
Shit. She didn’t want Yang to cut her evening short. What was she supposed to do? What was the right thing to say? She tried to smile at her but she was pretty sure it was more of a grimace than anything else.

“Hey guys, I’m going to show Blake that cute little coffee shop around the corner.”  
“It’s a tea shop, Yang.” Weiss had to correct her.  
“They sell coffee, so it’s a coffee shop.” Yang wasn’t even trying to hide her wicked little grin.  
“It literally says it on the sign outside ‘tea shop’.” Weiss tried to make air quotes but without letting go of her controller it ended up being more of an implication than an actual gesture.  
Once Yang had stopped laughing and they had made their goodbyes, they threw on their shoes and extra layers and made their way down the stairs.

 

Even though Yang was the driving force behind them leaving, Blake knew why she was doing it. She felt guilty about the whole thing, pulling Yang away from her friends and ending her fun night, but when she tried to apologize, Yang wouldn’t even let her get past the “I’m sorry-”  
“I told you we could leave whenever you wanted. I wouldn’t be able to have fun when you’re uncomfortable. And besides, Ruby told me they have a new kind of spicy tea at the shop. Probably some limited time thing, I can’t miss that.”  
Blake tried to find any signs that Yang wasn’t completely honest, but as far as she could tell the blondes smile was completely genuine.

 

The tea shop was in fact very cute. It had a very homely atmosphere with lots of fluffy cushioned booths one couldn’t help but sink into. Blake had a classic Earl Grey and Yang nearly jumped out of her seat when her ‘Sweet and Spicy Seasonal Special’ arrived. Blake could smell it from across the table and as much as she enjoyed watching Yang slurp with glee she kept thinking how it just seemed wrong. Tea was supposed to be a gentle beverage, it wasn’t supposed to assault you from such a distance.  
“Aah, I wish i could come by this place every day.” Yang stretched her arms above her head, then let herself plump back into the cushions.  
She raised a brow at her. “Why don’t you?”  
“I tried a few times but it’s almost a twenty minute detour and I love sleep too much for that. Also, my wallet wouldn’t like me if I did.”  
They sipped on their teas for a while just enjoying the cutesy pop beats playing quietly in the background.

“I’m really glad that you called. I had already kind of accepted that you wouldn’t. And then my phone was ringing and it was actually you. After that I just kept thinking ‘yay, new friend, new friend!’ I swear, living with Ruby again is turning me back into an excitable little kid.” She laughed.  
“I’m glad I called too.” For a moment she stared at the table, remembering how it came to this. Remembering her argument with Adam. It seemed so much longer ago than just a mere couple of hours.  
Yang was paying too close attention to her to not notice. “Did something happen?”  
“Oh, no, no, everything’s fine. Just, you know, the usual…” She waved her hand, thinking it would be enough to dismiss the topic. But Yang didn’t move on.  
“Blake… I know it’s not my place to pry, it’s just, you seem like there’s something that’s really not sitting right with you.”  
She glanced up and met violet eyes, looking at her with nothing but empathy. Would it really be okay to tell her all that? They were still practically strangers. This wasn’t something you unloaded on someone you were talking to for the second time. And what would she tell her anyway? ‘I had a fight with my boyfriend and he said some things that weren’t nice’? That was just… no. Just the bare bones.  
“I won’t be taking any more dance lessons.”  
“What? But you love dancing.”  
“Yeah, but I don’t have a partner anymore. Can’t really dance ballroom by myself.”  
“Oh. So you’re boyfriend…?”  
“He decided he didn’t want to anymore.” It was close enough to the truth.  
“So… you need a new partner? Because I’d be happy to step in again.”  
She searched Yang's face for a moment. She actually meant it, didn’t she? She would actually come dancing with her every wednesday evening if Blake asked her to. But she wouldn’t do that. She couldn’t just steal an evening like that. She appreciated the sentiment but she couldn’t. “Thanks, but it’s okay. I should focus on studying anyway.”  
Their eyes were locked for a couple of seconds before Yang smiled at her. “Well, it’s a standing offer. If you ever change your mind.”

 

They stayed until the shop closed. Then, instead of waiting by the bus stop, they walked to the central station. Continuing to talk about whatever came to mind. A little bit of school. A little bit about when they were younger. A little bit about what they liked to do and what they were aiming at in life.  
Blake loved hearing about Yang's childhood and all the silly adventures she’d had with her sister. It was so incredibly obvious how close they were and just hearing and seeing that filled her with second hand affection. By the time Yang was done she could almost see the house with the swing behind it. The cliffs and the sandbanks underneath.  
She shared where she grew up by the beach. When she was done with her description Yang just stared at her muttering: “Sand as far as the eye can see.” In a voice aching close to devotional. Then she threw her hands in the air. “Oh man! I need to win the lottery so we can go visit your parents. I need to lie on that beach!” And as so many times before Blake was laughing at her antics.  
It was a really nice evening and Blake felt a little sting in her chest when it was time to split up and catch their respective buses. Yang promised she would text her lunch times so they could meet up if their schedules aligned and it almost made up for the fact that she’d probably wander into a smoke filled apartment in a couple of minutes.

She held on to her smile until she got off the bus and then continued with hoping that all their lunch times fit perfectly as she climbed the stairs and unlocked the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay! Talk to my it makes my day!
> 
> More parts to come as they get done.

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know if you find any typos or logic holes. also if i should format this thing differently so it's easier to read or whatever...
> 
> let me know what you thought, if you like it, and if you do maybe what specifically? it would mean a lot to me.  
> i hope you have a nice day. hugs for all those who want them.


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